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WWE SummerSlam will be held at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee on July 30, 2022. This will be the last event heavily influenced by Vince McMahon as he retired on July 22, 2022. It will also be the first with new head of creative Paul Levesque (Triple H) in charge. As a result, WHO KNOWS where things are going. While I don’t expect things to change drastically, now it is time to pour over every minutia to parse the direction Triple H is steering the ship in. There are questions whose answers at SummerSlam can glean us some information. Chief of these, regards Theory’s status. Does he successfully cash in Money in the Bank and emerge as the big champion, does he settle into the midcard with the US Championship, or will he be embarrassed? Do they continue trying to establish Liv Morgan as champion or cut bait? Do they pull the trigger on the dissolution of the Street Profits as they hinted that there was acrimony between them (despite us not witnessing any)? We are in interesting times. Also, Riddle and Seth Rollins were scheduled to have a match, but Riddle is injured so the match was postponed. Rollins may have some sort of an impromptu match.
Roman Reigns (c) vs. Brock Lesnar, Undisputed WWE Universal Championship Last Man Standing Match
Story in a nutshell: After successfully defending his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship title, Roman Reigns was confronted by Brock Lesnar and one final match was set between the two rivals.
Roman Reigns defeated Riddle on an episode of Smackdown to retain his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. After the match Reigns declared that he had wrecked everyone when he was interrupted by a returning Brock Lesnar. Lesnar appeared to “acknowledge” Reigns but attacked him instead. WWE set a championship match between the two to take place at SummerSlam. Now, one shall stand, and one shall fall. The match is to be a Last Man Standing match and is being promoted as the last time these two will face each other. To win the match, a wrestler has to beat his opponent to the point that they can’t answer a ten count. Because of the damage that is inflicted during one of these matches, Theory, the current Money in the Bank winner, has threatened to cash in on the winner of the match.
Prediction and Analysis: Roman Reigns is going to be facing Drew McIntyre at Clash at the Castle so he will retain at least one of his belts. Reigns will most likely beat Lesnar, but I can see Theory cashing in on Reigns only to be told that he only gets one of the belts, thereby separating them. Also, keep in mind that Paul Heyman, Reign’s advocate, has been having conversations with Theory.
Bianca Belair (c) vs. Becky Lynch, WWE Raw Women’s Championship Match
Story in a nutshell: Becky Lynch finally gets the rematch with Bianca Belair for Bianca’s WWE Raw Women’s Championship that Becky has been angling for.
Our story begins one year(ish) ago, at SummerSlam 2021 when then WWE Smackdown Women’s Champion, Bianca Belair’s opponent for show was not available for unknown reasons. Carmella was chosen as a replacement, but Becky Lynch made her return from maternity leave and took out Carmella, taking the vacant spot instead. Belair welcomed Becky, only to be sucker punched and pinned in twenty-six seconds. The two feuded off and on, the WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship transmogrified into the WWE Raw Women’s Championship thanks to the magical WWE Draft incantation, and Belair finally overcame Lynch to win the championship back at WrestleMania 28
Prediction and Analysis: This is a hard one. Becky has been on a down streak that just started to turn around, so she has that ever elusive “momentum”. Belair is better on the chase too. I’m leaning to Becky for this one.
Liv Morgan (c) vs. Ronda Rousey, WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship Match
Story in a nutshell: A now-healthy Ronda Rousey gets her rematch against Liv Morgan after Liv Morgan cashed in the Money in the Bank contract to win the WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship at Money in the Bank.
Then WWE Smackdown Women’s Champion, Ronda Rousey, defended her title against Natalia at Money in the Bank. During the match, Ronda injured her leg. Liv Morgan, who had won the Money in the Bank ladder match earlier that night, cashed in the Money in the Bank contract on the injured Rousey and won the championship. Rousey was a good sport about it, but Liv now has to deal with a fully armed and operational Ronda Rousey.
Prediction and Analysis: This is the kind of match that can make or break a wrestler. Liv Morgan had a program with Becky Lynch that was lackluster, so she has to show out now. Liv needs to win this else her stock value drops precipitously. And preferably, not with a roll up.
Logan Paul vs. The Miz
Story in a nutshell: Logan Paul signed a contract with the WWE so he could get revenge on the Miz for betraying him at WrestleMania 38.
The Miz recruited Logan Paul to be his partner against Rey and Dominick Mysterio at WrestleMania 38. After they won the match, The Miz hit his Skull Crushing Finale signature finisher on Logan Paul in order to have the spotlight all to himself. Leading into SummerSlam, it was revealed that Logan Paul signed a contract with the WWE and Logan stated that he was coming after the Miz. The Miz tried talking his way out of it to no avail. And Logan Paul made fun of the size of Miz’s testicles.
Prediction and Analysis: The Miz can easily take a loss here. A bigger question is what the audience’s reaction to the match will be. I think a fast start with a fast finish is best here.
Pat McAfee vs. Happy Corbin
Story in a nutshell: Happy Corbin, tired of Pat McAfee (rightly) calling him out, confronted McAfee who stood his ground and challenged Corbin to a SummerSlam match.
Pat McAfee, on commentary, has been a harsh critic of Happy Corbin. After Corbin suffered an embarrassing loss to his underling, Madcap Moss, he confronted McAfee in frustration. McAfee refused to back down and later challenged Corbin to a match at SummerSlam. After initially refusing, Corbin began a series of hit and run attacks and accepted the match.
Prediction and Analysis: McAfee should win this. Corbin is pretty much impervious to losing anyway. The only was I see Corbin winning is if he continues attacking McAfee after the match, leading to Corbin’s next feud coming out to save McAfee.
Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Theory, WWE United States Championship Match
Story in a nutshell: After losing the WWE United States Championship to Bobby Lashley at Money in the Bank, Theory was granted his rematch for SummerSlam.
The above pretty much sums it up, only Theory is also the Money in the Bank contract holder and is planning on cashing in on the winner of the Last Man Standing championship match between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, expecting the winner to be too hurt to defend himself. It is his plan to walk out the United States AND Undisputed Champion.
Prediction and Analysis: This night is pretty much a referendum on what the new management thinks of Theory. When Theory lost to Lashley at Money in the Bank, many wrote him off, only to eat their words when he appeared in the Money in the Bank ladder match and won the thing. I fully expect Theory to come out with a title at SummerSlam. If he doesn’t, his detractors can breathe a sigh of relief.
Jey Uso & Jimmy Uso (c) vs. Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford, Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship Match with Special Referee, Jeff Jarrett
Story in a nutshell: After a spectacular match between the Usos, Jey and Jimmy Uso, and the Street Profits, Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford, ended in a controversial call by the referee, a rematch was scheduled for SummerSlam with Jeff Jarret as the special guest referee.
At Money in the Bank, the Usos defeated the Street Profits to retain their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship. However, upon further review, it was discovered that Montez Ford did not have both shoulders on the mat when the referee counted the pin. The rematch was set for SummerSlam. During a one-on-one matchup between members of the team, it miraculously happened again. Adam Pearce then decided that the only sensible course of action was to assign renown straight-shooter, Jeff Jarret, as special guest referee. When an in-ring meeting between the two teams and Jeff Jarret devolved into chaos, Jeff Jarret ate an inadvertent superkick from one of the Usos.
Prediction and Analysis: What a waste. A properly hyped-up match, with a stellar performance at Money in the Bank had a satisfying finish sacrificed for the gimmick of a “special guest” match. Anything the wrestlers do in the ring would be constantly overshadowed by the presence of the “special guest”. You instinctually know that nothing important will happen until the “special guest” gets their moment. Even if the “special guest’s” influence is kept to a minimum, something is still taken away. Of course, everything will be forgiven if Ric Flair jumps the barricade to attack his Final Match opponent. The Usos retain and we might get some friction between Dawkins and Ford. I also expect Jarret to help the Usos.
Rey Mysterio & Dominik Mysterio vs. Damian Priest & Finn Balor
Story in a Nutshell: “Spooky” Damian Priest and Finn Balor have set their sights on the Mysterio family for “spooky” reasons.
Claiming to hate weakness, the Judgment Day, Damian Priest and Finn Balor (along with Rhea Ripley) purged their perceived weakness, Edge, who was their “mentor”. They tried to get Dominick Mysterio to purge his weakness which they claim is his father, Rey Mysterio. To this end, they’ve been bullying the father and son.
Prediction and Analysis: Yeah. I am expecting Dominick to break his father’s heart at WWE Summerslam. I assume there was some Edge involvement planned at some point, but it looks like those plans were scuppered due to the change in management.
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